What is a Defibrillator?

Automated External Defibrillator (AED):




What is a defibrillator?

An (AED) automated external defibrillator is a device that sends an electric shock to the heart that will restore the natural heart rhythm to the victim during a cardiac arrest.
When the AED electrodes are applied to the victim's chest, it automatically analyzes the heart rhythm and the rescuer is then advised whether a shock is needed to regain a normal heart beat. The heart has been defibrillated when the victim's heart resumes normal beating.

Our personal experience

My husband was sitting waiting to board a plane at LAX Airport, when a man walking in front of him collasped. A doctor sitting nearby ran over to see if he could help. The man was turning blue and was not breathing. From the expression on the doctor's face, it was evident that the man did not have a pulse. Airport personnel came running over with a defibrillator. They gave him two shocks from this machine and the man started breathing, got his color back and eventually he sat up.

My husband was totally blown away by what he had just experienced. This man in all intensive purposes was dead, but this small plastic box saved his life. I decided that this machine needs to be included in this website. Who knows it may save someone elses life.

When is a defibrillator used?

An automated defibrillator is used to treat ventricular defibrillation or sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). The AED machines make it possible for anyone to offer immediate help to a victim suffering from a cardiac arrest. A heart attack or other medical condition is when electrical signals in the lower chambers of the heart become uncoordinated, ineffective and the heart pumps little or no blood throughout the body.

Ventricular defibrillation can lead to cardiac arrest and the heart could stop beating altogether. Once in cardiac arrest, every minute that passes without defibrillation the survival rate decreases about 7 to 10 percent and then dropping to less than 50 percent.

Why can't we just call 9-1-1?

Emergency medical services may not be able to respond fast enough during a victim's cardiac arrest. They might have to deal with crowded urban areas, multiple story buildings, rural areas or large complexes. In fact the average response time nationally is between 10 to 12 minutes, so the best EMS responders may not arrive there in time.

The survival rate is only 5 in 100 SCA victims if defibrillation is not done early enough. More lives can be saved because of the very practical design of the AED's and the fact that most people are capable of using them. The more portable defibrillators that are put into public and private places, the better the chances for survival in SCA victims.

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